Support for saxophones and similar musical instruments



E. v. POWELL ,8 ,947

SUPPORT FOR SAXOPHONES AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Dec. 27, 1932.

Filed Aug. 8, 1929 s gun" Influenza? Edward VPoweZL Patented Dec. 27, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD V. POWELL, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS SUPPORT FOR SAXOPHONES AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Application filed. August 8, 1929. Serial No. 384,379.

such as a hook for attachment to the instrument, and an adjusting member for adjusting the cord to Vary the length of the support to suit the musician with a given instrument, or to adapt the support to instruments of different characteristics. The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the support;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation of the support adjusted to a different length;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the course of the cord as viewed from the opposite direction as compared with Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation at an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the cord together with the cord-adjusting member and the instrument-supporting member;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 4c and 5, except that the coverportion of the casing of the cord-adjusting member has been removed to expose the in terior;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale on line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale on line 88 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale on line 99 of Fig. 6, but with the cover portion of the casing in place; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on enlarged scale on line 1010 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, and to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated therein, and having particular reference at first to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown an instrument support comprising three principal parts, namely: a cord designated as a whole by the numeral 11, a supporting member 12, and an adjusting member 13. The upper por tion of the cord is intended for attachment to the musicians body, as by being placed about his neck, the supporting member is intended 5 for attachment to the instrument, and the adjusting member is for the purpose of adjusting the cord to vary the effective length of the support. The adjustment is accomplished by simply grasping the adjusting member and moving it vertically.

The novel means for accomplishing and maintaining the adjustment and for keeping the cord in the proper arrangement are simple, effective, easily operated, attractive in appearance, and inexpensive. To describe the general arrangement of the cord briefly, it may be said to have two standing parts 14 and 15, suitably anchored to the adjusting member, extending thence downwardly to the supporting member and two moving parts 16 and 17 extending upwardly to and beyond the adjusting member, one of said moving parts, herein the part 16 extending about what may be termed a snubbing post 18, while the other moving part 17 extends through the adjusting member which presents a guide therefor. When the adjusting member is grasped, it may be moved freely upwardly and downwardly, and in this way, the effective length of the support may be varied at will (see Figs. 1 and 2). But a downward pull on the supporting member 12 has the effect of causing a constriction of the moving part 16 about the post 18, and the harder the pull the more tightly will the cord be held. 1

In the embodiment shown, the adjusting member comprises a casing or shell, which encloses the post and is composed of two parts 19 and 20, conveniently secured together by a screw 21, which extends through the part 20, and is threaded into the post, the latter being either integral with or suitably secured as by solder to the part 19. The casing thus presents a chamber 22. The casing is provided with two lower openings 23 and 241, and two upper openings 25 and 26, each formed partly in each of the two parts 19 and 20 (see Figs 7 and 8). The

standing parts 14 and 15, which, in the present example are parts of a loop, extend through the opening 28 and are anchored by a small ring 27 through which the loop extends. This ring is larger than the opening, and cannot pull out. The moving part 16 extends through the opening 24 into the chamber, and, after taking a turn about the post, extends through the opening 25. The wrapping of the cord about the post produces a powerful frictional resistance. The other moving part 17 extends through the opening 24 into the chamber, pastand in engagement with the post and out through the opening 26. This engagement produces further frictional resistance. The parts 16 and 17 may be joined together as by fiatband 28 to be placed about the neck of the musician.

The supporting member 12 is provided with suitable means, such as a hook 29, for attachment to the instrument, two guides, herein vertical eyes 30 and 31 which constitute guides for the parts 14 and 15, respectively, and a guide, herein a horizontal eye 32 for both of said parts. By this means, the cord is prevented from becoming disarranged or tangled, and the hook is prevented by th; upper eye from becoming inverted relatively to the cord. In the present embodiment, the supporting member is conveniently made of a single piece of wire which starts at the point 33, and ends at the point 34.

The musician places the upper loop about his neck, and attaches the instrument to the hook. He adjusts the cord by simply moving the adjusting member up or down while the weight of the instrument is on the hook. This is a quick, simple and convenient onehand operation.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a support for musical instruments such as saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member, an adjusting member comprising a snubbing post and a guide, and a cord having two standing parts secured to said adjusting member, extending thence downwardly to said supporting member, and moving parts extending thence in an upward direction to and beyond said adjusting member, one of said moving parts extending about said snubbing post and the other through said guide.

2. In a support for musical instruments such as saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member, an adjus ing member comprising a snubbing post and a guide, and a cord having two standing parts secured tosaid adjusting member, ex tending thence downwardly to said supporting member, and moving parts extending thence in an upward direction to and beyond.

said adjusting member, one of said moving ber, one of said moving parts extending about said snubbing post and the other through said guide. I V

4. 1n av support for musical instruments such as Saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member having upper and lower guiding means, an adjusting mem ber comprising a snubbing post and a guide, and a cord having two standing parts secured to said adjusting member, extending thence downwardly, through said lower guiding means, and moving parts extending.

thence upwardly through said upper guiding means to and beyond said adjusting member, one of said movingv parts extending about said snubbing post and the other through said guide.

5. In a support for musical instruments such as saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member having two lower guides and-an upper guide, an adjusting member comprising a snubbing post and a guide, and a cord having two standing parts secured to said adjusting member, ex tending thence downwardly, through said lower guide, respectively, and moving parts extending thence upwardly through said up-V per guide to and beyond said adjusting member, one of said moving parts extending about said snubbing post and theother through the guide of said adjusting member.

6. In a support for musical instruments such as saxophones, the combination of aninstrument supporting member, an adjusting.

member comprising a snubbing post and. a. casing having a chamber whlch houses said post, said casing having two upper openings and two lower openings, and a cord having two standing parts anchored within. said chamber, extending thence downwardly through one of saidlower openingsto said supporting member, and moving parts extending thence upwardly through. the second lower opening into said chamber, one of said moving parts extend-ing about said post'and upwardly and outwardly through one of said upper openings, and the other moving, part extending past anddefiected by said post upwardly to and through the second of'said' upper openings.

7 In a support for musical instruments such as Saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member, an adjusting member comprising a snubbing post and a casing having a chamber which houses said post, said casing having two upper openings and two lower openings, and a cord having two standing parts anchored within said chamber, extending thence downwardly through one of said lower openings to said supporting member, and moving parts extending thence upwardly through the second lower opening into said chamber, one of said moving parts extending about said post and upwardly and outwardly through the upper opening which is above the second lower opening, the other moving part extending past said post upwardly to and through the second upper opening which is above the first lower opening.

8. In a support for musical instruments such as Saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member having upper and lower guiding means, an adjusting member having cord deflecting means, and a cord having two standing parts secured to said adjusting member, extending thence downwardly, through said lower guiding means, and moving parts extending upwardly through said upper guiding means to and beyond said adjusting member, one of said moving parts engaging and being deflected by said cord deflecting means.

9. In a support for musical instruments such as saxophones, the combination of an instrument supporting member having upper and lower guiding means, an adjusting member having cord deflecting means, and a cord having two standing parts secured to said adjusting member, extending thence downwardly, through said lower guiding means, and moving parts extending upwardly through said upper guiding means to and beyond said adjusting member, both of said moving parts engaging and being deflected by said cord deflecting means.

10. As an article of manufacture, a support for use with a cord to support a musical instrument such as a saxophone, said support having a hook for attachment to the saxophone, two cord guides above and rigidly attached to said hook, and a third cord guide above and rigidly attached to the other cord guides and to said hook.

11. As an article of manufacture, a support for use with a. cord to support a musical instrument such as a saxophone, said support having a hook for attachment to the saxophone, two cord-guiding eyes above and rigidly attached to said hook, and a third cord-guiding eye above and rigidly attached to the other cord-guiding eyes and to said hook.

12. As an article of manufacture, a support for use with a cord to support a musical instrument such as a saxophone, said support 

